University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) installs upgraded NVRs/DVRs with exacqVision VMS platform

UNC Greensboro (UNCG) is one of 17 campuses within the University of North Carolina system. Founded in 1891, UNCG is the largest and most diverse university in the Piedmont Triad region, serving more than 20,000 students and employing approximately 2,800 faculty members.

UNC Greensboro (UNCG)

The university is in the heart of Greensboro, which boasts nearly 260,000 people, making it visible within the larger community as well. Landlocked by local streets, the 200-acre campus with 30 buildings poses unique security issues, as it is crisscrossed with major roads, making it a priority to ensure pedestrian and bicycle safety.

UNCG has its own police department (UNCG PD), with more than 40 members, who ensure the safety of the campus

As a public institution, UNCG is also largely open to the community and hosts numerous events, activities, and services, which are regularly accessed by residents of nearby neighbourhoods and the city of Greensboro at large.

UNCG has its own police department (UNCG PD), with more than 40 members, who ensure the safety of the campus. UNCG PD relies on its video surveillance system to alert them to incidents, record video for forensic purposes, and also provide video analytics for traffic and crowd control.

Proactive video surveillance and camera system

With a growing campus and rising security needs, UNCG PD, with the help of its systems integrator, NETCom Cabling and Security Systems, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, recognised it required a more efficient and proactive video surveillance and camera management system.

The days when DVRs could provide the necessary recorded data quickly, gave way to the need for a more responsive approach, such as a shared enterprise system, to bring together cameras, recording, and the intelligent usage of both.

The exacqVision platform and Z-Series video recorders

UNCG PD’s foray beyond the NVR/DVR world began with the installation of the exacqVision platform, starting with its Z-Series recorders, to cover its parking decks. From there, it began to incorporate a hybrid platform, including exacqVision VMS, to support the analogue cameras used for the parking decks, as well as the IP cameras being installed for security elsewhere.

The migration began several years ago, but today the campus boasts nearly 900 cameras in use, with about 700 IP and the remainder analogue. Each recorder can handle up to 128 IP cameras and 64 analogue ones, and it works with thousands of IP camera models. Within that time, the UNCG PD has also grown to become a state-of-the-art department, with its own command and emergency operations centre, where it can monitor and manage its video surveillance system.

Intuitive video surveillance system

In selecting the exacqVision Z-Series, UNCG’s police department was seeking an intuitive system

In selecting the exacqVision Z-Series, UNCG’s police department was seeking an intuitive system that would put the necessary information at the fingertips of whosoever was on duty. It was also critical to deploy a system with built-in redundancy, to protect against any data loss, in the event of a power issue or system fail.

“It’s a pretty easy end-user experience for our officers, without a lot of technological background,” said Joshua Green, Technical Services Analyst for the UNCG PD.

Scalable video security system

The software within the system makes it simple to perform tasks, such as playing back recordings or searching for data, using a single screen. One of the biggest benefits of the Z-Series is its scalability, offering one of the largest processors and fastest speeds of the DVRs on the market. The system’s design also makes it easy to add new cameras and licensing.

One of the common usages of the exacqVision platform is for traffic management. Using the video from the exacqVision system, they can perform tasks, such as counting parking spaces, to know when a parking lot is full, as well as to watch crosswalks, to see how pedestrian and vehicle traffic is moving, or where people are congregating.

Key inputs for efficient resource allocation

It can also be used to help the police department determine where to put resources. For example, how many people are in the workout room and does that area need extra patrols, or are there concerns about equipment in the computer lab and how should that be monitored?

There is also time savings to be gained, by working with exacqVision VMS platform

There is also time savings to be gained, by working with exacqVision VMS platform, a system that lets the user easily search recorded video, with a timeline search. Green recalled an instance when someone was concerned that an iPad had been stolen, but a quick check of the video showed within a matter of minutes that the item had been safety stored away, rather than taken.

UNCG, NETCom and Intelligent Marketing Inc. partnership

As a long-time user of the Z series and exacqVision VMS, UNCG, NETCom and Intelligent Marketing Inc. are quick to share their success stories and concerns to improve the product.

“These guys, (Tim Reese, Sergeant for the technical services area, and Green), are working with Exacq engineers on changes that everyone will benefit from,” such as improvements to the mapping feature,” said Bob Moulton, North Carolina’s Territory Manager for Intelligent Marketing, a security manufacturer representative firm that works closely with end-user customers.

Smart video surveillance solution

The ability to make integrations down the road, because of the scalability of the system, whether it’s adding card access or expanding the number of cameras, makes the Z-Series a smart strategic investment for the university.

We are looking to the future of our surveillance system to ensure the safety of the university’s students"

“We are looking to the future of our surveillance system to ensure the safety of the university’s students, faculty and visitors,” said Tim Reese, Sergeant for the technical services area, adding “Migrating to and implementing a new NVR platform provides the university with an important foundation for future surveillance capabilities and usability.”

Implementing new NVR platform

Systems integrator, NETCom Cabling and Security Systems concurred with those sentiments. “We enjoyed the opportunity to collectively work together with the University of North Carolina’s police department and Intelligent Marketing Inc. to support the University’s goal of continuously making improvements to ensure the campus remains secure,” said Aaron Spivey, Director of Security at NETcom Cabling.

Aaron Spivey adds, “Together, we’ve achieved that objective and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”

Security system providers:

• Intelligent Marketing Inc., based in Haverhill, Massachusetts., works in concert with manufacturers, distributors, specifiers, and integrators to assist with system design and specifications. Intelligent Marketing Inc. delivers proactive customer service, training, and support from project inception to completion, and more.
• NETcom Cabling and Security Systems, Greensboro, North Carolina, has been in business since 1990, specialising in category 5e/6 and 6a copper, indoor/outdoor fiber installations, card access, cameras, perimeter detection, gate entry systems, paging and AV solutions. NETcom has the capabilities to create comprehensive commercial cabling and security plans, through its in-house CAD department.